First, let me explain the pocket concept and how it came together for me.

About this time last year, because there was a lot of football being watched in our house by the very handsome man who lives here, I kept hearing talk about the quarterback being protected by the pocket created by his offensive line (I had to get that last part from my husband since I only understood the part about the ‘protected pocket’ concept).

Then, I heard some story about a boat that had capsized, with people who survived because the boat had a pocket of air that they could breathe until rescue arrived.

Now here is a third idea: See if you can picture what you felt as a child (and even an adult) getting an old purse or wallet out of your closet and finding change in a pocket. You got a surprise of some extra money! Or maybe you remember when, at the change of seasons, you reached into a winter coat or spring jacket and found folded-up money. Again, hooray! A surprise of some extra change or even folded bills!

Here’s a fourth scenario you might identify with: Think about a time when a three-hour meeting was canceled at the last minute and you found out you had a ‘pocket’ of time you weren’t expecting. What feelings did you experience? Relief? A release of tension? An “ahhhhh, thank goodness!” thought? A sense of reprieve?

This is the gist of the pocket idea. Pockets are big and little spaces (usually metaphorical) where you can experience calm vs. experiencing angst and upset. When I explain the idea of pockets to others, I will often give the short definition of “pockets are the difference between being calm and crazed.”

I recommend that you begin musing about the areas where you need to begin purposely and purposefully putting in pockets – so as to permit peace, positivity, and productivity.

You can think about areas such as

Time

Schedules

Relationships

Space

Closets

People

Commitments

Projects

Energy

Money

…or any others that you come up with. As I always say to you, it’s your life…take a look at it and do the thinking that is pertinent for YOU.

So, how about that?

This is a big concept. Don’t dismiss it as unimportant just because it seems simple and sensible.

Take time now and throughout the week to consider where you do and don’t have pockets – and where you need them so that you feel the joy, peace, and positivity that you need and want to be optimally content and productive. Consciously consider the answers to these two questions:

“Where has the difference between “calm” and “crazed” disappeared for you?” and

“What areas do you need to begin purposely putting in pockets – thereby permitting positivity?”

You are certainly welcome to access a variety of tools for being peaceful, positive, and productive by going to:

** http://stayingpositiveinafreakedoutworld.com/Materials.php

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)

~Richard Garriott, computer-game developer

You’ve heard it-and maybe even said it: “I know where everything is….it just looks messy.” Chaos in your work space (or home space) is not reasonable, sensible, or productive. Those who believe that they are organized, efficient, and highly effective when they live and/or work in chaos are delusional. So, here is a question, “Is that how you want to be described?” I didn’t think so.

Are there any solutions if chaos is currently part of your worklife?

Hire someone to help you. There are professionals who can come in and work directly with you and your team so that you can restructure your chaos to be order. You can check your contact list, the Internet, or other means to find people who are poised to assist you in your efforts.

Talk with your team about the differences between chaos and order. Regardless of whether your team is one other person or scores (or hundreds), make it clear that you are looking for a team effort – with the resultant benefits for all – to establishing order instead of chaos.

Do not delay on making orderly changes. Starting today you can begin to impose order on your chaos. If your bookshelf looks chaotic, then order some bookends from your local office supply store. It is amazing how just getting all of your books to stand up (using a bookend) can begin to appear more orderly. Once you start to get the visual sense of order, you are encouraged to continue making progress.

Look for results. You need to acknowledge small changes that you are making and if you are a leader among your team (and let us hope that you are), then you will want to notice tiny and huge differences that your colleagues are making. Human beings appreciate being acknowledged for the efforts that they are making and know that it is valued. Note: Be sure to provide the encouragement and acknowledgement in the way that individuals will be comfortable. Some people want public attention and others want a short note, email, or face to face verbal interaction with you.

Eliminate at least one item each day until you no longer have chaos in your work life. A major contributor to chaos is too much “stuff,” and that stuff can be physical, emotional, and mental debris. Take a look around your office, lab, garage, or wherever it is that you work. You will immediately see a book, notebook, tool, box, barrel, knick-knack, or other item that no longer supports what it is that you do. Get rid of it. Do this everyday – for however long it takes (and it can take a long time). Spend time also examining your emotional and mental life and see what detritus is also there. Take steps to rid yourself of this chaos.

It took time for your work life to become chaotic and it will take time for it to become orderly. But you can make the shift if you give it your attention and energy. It is worth it and there are tools to assist.

One such tool that you are invited to access is the **free** full-color Special Report, *Rid Your Office of Clutter to Increase Your Sense of Peaceful Productivity.* Just go to

** http://meggin.com/downloads.php where you can download it.

This Special Report will give you (and others with whom you work) suggestions and motivation to start de-cluttering your workspace (and even your home).

© 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm).

If you use consciously and deliberately put in “pockets,” that is, the special protected spaces that give your room to breathe, space to think, margins for error, you will see immediate differences. Consider these possibilities:

Imagine not feeling rushed ALL THE TIME.

Imagine not running around like your hair is on fire all the time.

Imagine not snapping at people – at work or at home, because you are completely overscheduled.

Imagine arriving early (so you NEVER have to apologize for being late – which immediately puts you in a defensive space).

Imagine being able to stop and talk with students instead of mowing them down as you zoom through the halls and across campus.

Here are additional possibilities to consider:

What if you run into someone at the local coffee place who is a key constituent – and you can actually comfortably chat with that person without appearing antsy and anxious?

What if you could just sit and hang out with one of your children instead of telling them, “hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.” If you are a parent, here’s something that Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls said, “One important reason to stay calm is that calm parents hear more. Low-key, accepting parents are the ones whose children keep talking.” Imagine that. To continue…

Imagine feeling good about meetings and appointments instead of dreading them and wishing they would cancel?

Imagine the sense of accomplishment as you do work that you are proud of – partly because you had a pocket of time for checking what you are doing and making sure it fulfills expectations.

Imagine….

Truly, if your goal is to stay positive, regardless of whether others around you are freaking out and going nuts, use your planner and strategically, consciously, and deliberately put pockets of time (maybe 5 minutes or maybe 5 hours) around your scheduled appointments. This will lead to a calmer and more centered you…and a calm and centered person can stay positive – even when others are…you know…freaking out.

Here’s a special quote for you – and I have this posted near my desk. I hope it is also helpful in reminding you about calm…and why you want to get and stay in a calm state. Protecting your time pockets for the reasons shared in this article are worth your mindful consideration.

Fear cannot be banished, but it can be calm and without panic; it can be mitigated by reason and evaluation. ~ Vannevar Bush

And if you would like numerous tools for staying calm and positive, feel free to go to:

** http://stayingpositiveinafreakedoutworld.com/Materials.php

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)

We will use the example of metaphorically “closing the door” on your interaction with colleagues who are forever buzzing around and upsetting you and others with their fear-mongering, negativity, and gossip. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario in many workplaces today.

Step one is to say to yourself, “I am closing the door on the gossip and negativity and fear from these three colleagues who have infested my thinking for the last 3 years.”

Step two is to begin to generate the ways that will allow you to accomplish this (and it is not easy, I know!) Here are some possibilities to consider implementing:

I will be ready to change the subject whenever one or more of them start talking with me and it is negative.

I will specifically speak to each person and let him/her know that I am working hard to stay on the upside instead of the downside and am going to work to focus differently.

I will walk away from situations in the office that look like they will turn into negativity sessions.

I will learn more about the personal parts of every one of these people’s life so that I can ask questions to help them focus on something good that is happening.

I will ask the boss if she/he can encourage all of us to look on the bright side and bring our creativity to situations that seem gloomy.

I will resign from particular committees that involve extensive interaction with these three people and seek different opportunities to contribute to the organization.

These are six options. I have no idea what will work in your situation so you can continue generating possible options or modifications to the ideas suggested above.

Is closing the door on negative people as easy as deciding to eat something besides yogurt everyday for lunch? Nope. You’re up to the challenge, though, aren’t you?

If you want your life to be better, if you want something to be different this time next year, if you want your energy focused on the upside instead of the downside, then you will want to open yourself to solutions.

We explored a whole range of “opening” and “closing” doors recently during our Staying Positive Sunday sessions and these are ready for you to access here:

** http://stayingpositiveinafreakedoutworld.com/Materials.php

We have a positive group and would love to have you join us.

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)

Let us start with you making your own list of things that you would like to be different. It might be relationships you have, certain work that you do, something about your physical being, or other practices in which you engage. So make your list and then read the rest of the article.

Now, looking at your list, you need to begin to think about “If this, then, this.” That is, you will consider, “If this (relationship, work, practice, or habit) is going to occur, then this (action, conversation, etc.) will need to happen. You can set up a page that has lots of sentence frames like this:

If ________________________, then _______________________.

Now, begin to fill them in. Let me give you a few samples first:

An example would be, if I am not going to work with high maintenance clients, then I need to talk with my colleagues to find out if they want these clients or if we need to verify the ease of working with the person before our firm ever takes them on.

Another example would be, if we are going to donate money to a special cause instead of buying gifts at the holiday season, then I need to have a way of letting people know that this is our choice and we encourage them to do the same.

Here’s another: If I am keeping the door closed on cynical, negative language, then I need to remind the people in my house that I don’t want to hear such language and will just take myself out of the room if that is the level of discourse they are engaged in. (I know…I make it sound s easy, don’t I?! HA!)

Write out if ______________ (I intend to keep the door closed on x) then ______________ here is what I will need to do.

It is not some magical occurrence to make changes in your life, that is, closing or keeping closed certain “doors” in your life so that your life can be better next year than it has been. You need to be deliberate about keeping doors closed that you just don’t want to pop or creak open this next year.

So with your if, then statements, I imagine you found yourself with some work to do.

Maybe there are conversations you need to have.

Maybe there are phone calls you need to make.

Maybe you need to schedule time weekly to take care of something.

Keep in mind, If this, then that. Be purposeful and deliberate about your decisions to stay on the upside vs. on the downside. If you are going to stay in an empowered, positive frame of mind, it involves taking actions based on the decisions you make.

You can do this.

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. ~Flora Whittemore

We explored the idea of “decision doors” during 5 sessions of the Staying Positive Society and those recordings and materials are available for you at

** http://stayingpositiveinafreakedoutworld.com/Materials.php

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)

There are really only two ways to know how long you spend in a given week doing the myriad tasks that make up your life.

Hire someone to follow you around every waking minute (or just during your work hours).

Keep a time log on yourself.

Since most people will not choose the former (although it *is* an option), let’s explore ten tips so that you can do the latter.

If you use an electronic calendar, be sure you have recorded all your appointments and meetings. Then, print it out so you will have it as a basis to work from.

If you do not use an electronic calendar, eitherprint out blank pages from your computer’s calendar program (e.g., Outlook) or create a calendar showing the hours for which you want to be keeping a time log.

Regardless of which of the previous you use, you must have a schedule on which to record your various tasks, activities, and appointments.

Prepare to keep a time log on an entire week. No one has “typical” days or “average” days. You need a 5 – 7 day spectrum to get a clear sense of where and how you spend your time.

Beginning at the start of your work day (or when you first get up in the morning), make note of what you are doing. Although extensive detail is not necessary, it is helpful to record adequate information to allow for later analysis.

Each time you switch activities, record the time and make note of the new activity. The assumption will be that you continued the previous activity right up until you record the switch.

Consider everything you do, including every shift of mental focus, as a shift to be recorded. For example, if you are working on a budget analysis and stop to think about another project you are working on, that is a switch and the time should be recorded. If you aggregate or otherwise lump together what you are doing, you will have a less clear and less helpful picture of how you are actually spending your time. This, obviously, defeats the purpose of keeping a time chart.

When you leave your office or wherever you are keeping your time log, take it with you, if it is feasible.

If you do not take your log with you, do your darnedest to accurately record what you did during the time you were gone.

At the end of each day, review what you have noted, fleshing out any details that you had not captured during the day.

Keeping a time log, using these 10 guidelines, will yield a picture of your day. As I always say, to know what we value, look at our time log.

And for scores (and soon hundreds) of sets of Top Ten Productivity Tips like these, you’re invited to join others around the globe who subscribe (free) to one of the Top Ten Productivity Tips series (info to be found at):

** http://TopTenProductivityTips.com

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)

Now, if you don’t have a planner, go get one and be sure it has all four of these components:

Daily calendar

Weekly/Monthly calendar

To-do list (both current and future)

Notes section

There are physical (paper) planners of every type that will fulfill this list and there are electronic ones for your computer, your phone, or whatever you use. The idea, though, is you have to USE it or it is not worth having and is basically a waste.

I am going to assume that you have your planner and now will give you some quick ideas that may seem simple, but they take commitment to implement. However, at the same time, they will give you enormous ROI, that is, Return on Investment and will increase your productivity many times over (because you’ll be building in pockets, i.e., the difference between calm and crazed):

Write in every appointment you have on your monthly calendar first.

Record those appointments also on your daily calendar if you are within a week of the appointment. Otherwise, just leave them on the monthly calendar until the date is closer since we all know how things can change. There’s no sense to be writing, erasing, deleting, or whatever more times than is necessary.

Put “pockets” around your appointments. Here’s what I mean by that:

Regardless of whether your appointment is in your office and people are coming to you or if you are traveling across town or across campus or you are going to the doctor or going to see a client….it doesn’t matter. Put some cushion, buffer, padding, protected space (pockets) on both sides of that appointment. I can’t tell you an exact amount – but here are some guidelines.

a. For appointments that are in your office, create at LEAST a ten minute pocket on either side. You want to be able to be ready for the appointment and that means closing out whatever you were working on and getting out the necessary notes and materials that will be needed. Plus, you may need to get yourself in the right frame of mind so you can focus. At the end of an appointment, you need 10 minutes (or more) to take care of what just transpired, put things away, delegate, do whatever needs to be done…and then transition into your next activity.

b. For appointments that are across campus or across town, put in a travel pocket. As far as I know, none of you is like the character in Bewitched who could just twinkle her nose and transport herself somewhere else. You actually have to walk, drive, ride, or otherwise ambulate yourself. Not only do you need to block the time for travel but also allow yourself an additional ten minutes BOTH WAYS – and this is your pocket. Leaving ten minutes before you think you SHOULD leave allows time for traffic, seeing people, etc.

c. For appointments that involve projects of some time, build in a pocket to actually DO THE WORK that is generated due to the appointment. When you set an appointment like this, immediately look at your planner and schedule the appropriate work time to accompany the appointment or meeting. Get into that habit.

As I said, these seem simple…but their impact will change your whole sense of yourself as a productive professional. And, it will changes others’ perceptions of you as well. Sounds like a winning idea to me!!

If you would like to receive a weekly suggestion on creating time, energy, and life pockets (i.e., the difference between being calm and crazed), just go to http://www.PumpernickelPublishing.com and you’ll see a place to sign up.

If you’d like to access additional resources to support your quest for productivity, feel free to take a look here:

** http://meggin.com/GetMoreProductive.php

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)

Delegate selectively. First, you have to consider whether a particular task even needs to be done at all. If so, you then have to determine who would be the right person to handle it, if it is not to be done by you. Being selective both about the tasks and the delegatees indicates wisdom and leadership (both excellent qualities!)

Check in as often as necessary, but not more often. No one likes a micromanager and when you check in too often, you’re viewed as a micromanager/control freak. On the other hand, if you do not check in often enough, your project could get derailed and you don’t even know it. Also, the person to whom you delegated may wonder a) whether you are interested in the project, b) if they should “bother” you with questions, or c) if the project is still a priority or not. Determine, along with the person to whom you delegate, how often and in what manner you’ll be checking in.

Remember that you own the responsibility even when you have delegated the task. This is a key principle that poor delegators do not understand. Delegating a task or project does not mean you have shifted the responsibility. You haven’t. You have only brought someone else in to help with the task(s) and so it is your responsibility to ensure that the overall task or project is completed on time, within budget, and up to specs.

Delegate progressively; avoid delegating too much too fast. You will never regret having started small but will almost assuredly regret having delegated too much too early. Delegating small portions gives you and the person to whom you are delegating a chance to figure out the best working relationship. It also allows for early course corrections, if needed. It allows both of you to gain some confidence and some successes, which only leads to additional trust and success.

Delegate, don’t abdicate. Delegation is NOT dumping tasks or responsibilities on someone else. Delegation is a transaction. You are asking and the other person is consciously and deliberately accepting. It is actually far more complex than that, however. Delegation rarely involves a simple “ask” and simple “accept.” You can be thankful for those times, but know that the transactive nature of delegation means that there is an exchange and usually, a back and forth discussion.

Consistently skilled delegation comes about through practice, experience, growth, structure, and coaching. Take some time this week to integrate at least one of the ideas shared in this article. See what you learn and then apply that knowledge – along with another one of the ideas. You will be an effective delegator and more productive, too!

And if you are seeking more ideas about the specifics of delegation, access the 5-hour training package I did recently on “Deputize…Then Delegate.” You’ll receive a hefty handout packet and downloadable MP3s–a total of nearly 5 hours of instruction. It will make a world of difference.

** http://meggin.com/DeputizeThenDelegate.php

(c) 2010 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm).

Here are a few ideas to consider as you think about becoming a better delegator:

Know the definition of delegation. In general, delegating means asking for help with a task or larger project (and receiving a commitment to do what is asked). There are more involved definitions, but this is enough to get us started. Be very clear that delegating is NOT dumping and that if you are NOT an effective delegator, you cheat yourself, your company, and those with whom you work (plus your family if you still have one!)

Be clear on why you need to delegate. If you possess more time than you need AND all the knowledge in the world AND every skill that is imaginable AND interests and passions so diverse that it’s hard to fathom, you don’t need to consider delegation. For the rest of us…we do.

Write down the crises that have occurred because you did not delegate. This should not take long, but I’ll wait for you. Unfortunately, this is a case where recognizing what happens when we DO NOT delegate can encourage us to start being better delegators. It might be part of why you found this article.

Generate a list of people to whom you can delegate. Don’t forget teenage neighbors, anyone who needs to earn extra money, people who are “looking for something to do,” and family members. If you will just put on your thinking cap, I’m sure you will come up with quite a list. At this time in our economy, you can find incredibly talented people who will be thrilled to do some work for and with you.

Have a method for tracking delegated tasks. It’s easy to lose faith in delegation if it is causing you more stress than ever. That stress can be at least partially relieved if you have a way to track what it is you have delegated. You can

keep a list,

write dates for checking back in your planner,

set up a “help desk” system on your server,

create a spread sheet…

or myriad other possibilities. There are both simple and complex ways. Try something and if the method doesn’t work, try something else. And hey, you could even delegate the responsibility of finding a tracking method that will work for you.

Truly, productivity in business (and in our other endeavors) requires that we become effective and efficient delegators. See if you can implement are refine one of the ideas discussed in this article to enhance your overall productivity – by delegating. I believe you can!

And to learn more specifics of delegation, access the 5-hour training package I did recently on “Deputize…Then Delegate.” You’ll receive a hefty handout packet and downloadable MP3s–a total of nearly 5 hours of instruction. It will make a world of difference.

** http://meggin.com/DeputizeThenDelegate.php

(c) 2010 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm).

What is misunderstood is that often multi-tasking makes us less productive rather than more productive. Our brains do not switch well between tasks and in fact, are unable to do two tasks that require thinking at the same time. So, talking on the phone and answering email cannot be done at the same time as productively as you could do them separately. On the other hand, if you have folded clothes for many years and have done it the same way for all these years….then you can fold clothes and watch TV at the same time (a fact that may have escaped others in your household).

So, when deciding whether to multitask, consider these productivity tips:

Does more than one of the tasks require you to think? If so, don’t multitask.

Do you feel annoyed when you’re talking to someone and they appear to be doing something else at the same time? Then don’t multitask when you should simply face the person and listen.

Multi-tasking is not a time-saver, assuming you want a high-quality outcome from all the tasks at hand. If you don’t care about the outcome, then go ahead…have at it. Multi-task as much as you want.

Do you really give your BEST when you are multi-tasking? Tell the truth.

Does your employer want to pay you for doing less than your best? Do I have to answer that for you?

What do you have to do to resist the temptation for multitasking? For one thing, stop imagining that it’s possible. Secondly, stop using the term “multi-tasking” so you and others stop thinking it’s an option. It is not.

Are you convinced that although others can’t multitask, you can? You can’t. They can’t. Refer to #1.

Do you find yourself daydreaming about something else and claiming that you’re multi-tasking? (A cartoon in the February 2006 Kappan magazine has a student saying to the principal, “Some might call it daydreaming; I call it multitasking.”)

Multi-tasking also involves the notion of multi-thinking. Thinking is a “task.” And, because we all have many things whirling around in our head at any one time, we have to be aware that we really can’t “think” about more than one thing at the same time. If your “psychic RAM” is crowded with your many thoughts, have a pad of paper with you at all times that you can use to empty your psychic RAM. Note: In the January/February issue of Fast Company magazine, a news release stated that “Women today aren’t just multi-tasking–they are multi-minding, constantly thinking about and preparing for the myriad dimensions in their complex lives.”

There are laws against multi-tasking while driving. It’s called distracted driving. Be safe.

I would encourage you to print out this article for frequent reference. Bring up the topic at your next staff meeting. Begin to remove the language “multitaskers wanted” when you advertise for jobs. You don’t want people who are delusional enough to think that they multi-task.

To access a fabulous free teleseminar with my guest Dave Crenshaw, author of The Myth of Multitasking: How ‘Doing it All’ Gets Nothing Done, just go to

** http://meggin.com/MythofMultitasking.php

Dave is a contributor to some of the new Top Ten Productivity Tips series. Learn more (free) here:

** http://TopTenProductivityTips.com

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)